Spatial and Generative music composition with Lugh O’Neill
Spatial and Generative music composition methodologies
- Workshop with Lugh O'Neill
This course with composer and spatial sound designer, Lugh O’Neill, gives a wide overview of techniques for spatial sound design and generative techniques in music composition, looking at the origins of spatial sound and generative sound in terms of their history and ideology, as well as their practice and utility in arts and media from the 20th century onwards.
We will explore some of these in detail and in practice so as to create spatial and generative sound-systems together in their entirety, considering the various applications of these tools, from their use in sonic arts to music composition, performance, video games, theatre and film.
The course is offered in collaboration with the BA graduate Program in Theatre and Performance Making/Sound at The Danish National School of Performing Arts.
Photo: Exhibition view: Tomas Saraceno, Free the Air: How to hear the universe in a spider/web, Sound compositions and spatial sound design by Lugh O'Neill, Lighting design by Christof Daniel Hetzer, Alex Brok and Rembrandt Pieplenbosch, a 95-foot-diameter installation at the Shed, New York (February 2022), Photo ©Nicholas Night.
The course will include basic training in Max Msp for the specific applications of the topic of this course and will also include guidance in field recording and studio composition.
Participants should have Max/MSP from Cycling '74 pre-installed on their computers. A downloadable link will be sent with instructions after registration.
Timeline overview
Day 1- Introduction to the history, theory, current context and applications of practices in generative and spatial sound design, including the fundamentals of the technical approaches involved.
Day 2 - Hardware setup and hands on creation of basic generative and spatial sound system on the 8 speaker multi channel installation (working as an entire group). In the afternoon, field recording for generative and spatial sound design and composition approaches (working individually or in small groups).
Day 3 - Individual creation (with guidance) of personalised generative and spatial sound system using techniques acquired during the first days of the course (working individually or in small groups).
Day 4 - Continued individual creation, with guidance, of a personalised generative and spatial sound system using techniques acquired during the first days of the course (working individually or in small groups). In the afternoon, presentation of individual projects on the 8-speaker multichannel installation (13:00–15:00).
As a composer and spatial sound designer, Lugh O’Neill’s work navigates an eerie and evocative space formed by the overlap between what is recognisably tangible and familiar and the aseptic sterility of the digital - the separation of which is continuously and progressively challenged.
In recent works, Lugh has focused on emphasising the potential of spatialisation in sound and music composition - while composition is traditionally conceived over the spectra of frequency and time, Lugh’s work utilises space as another dimension in which sound and music composition is written.
Lugh has performed in concert settings and produced audio-visual work for contexts such as the KW Institute for Contemporary Art Berlin, Design Miami/Basel, Cafe OTO London, Point Ephèmere Paris, Bloomberg New Contemporaries at ICA London, and has regularly collaborated on projects with artists and performers such as Jakob Kudsk Steensen, Tomas Saraceno, Doireann O'Malley, Ian Cheng, Petrit Halilaj and Alvaro Urbano, Zuzana Pabisova, Marie Requa Gailey, Dylan Kerr, Leisha Thomas and Kevin Brennan.
As co-founder of C.A.N.V.A.S. — a record label and events series — Lugh has released his own works such as the Re Munus LP, directed the research based Cipher and Apocope compilation LPs, and co-produces other works released on the label.
The course fee may be tax-deductible, and it is advisable to check with your professional union whether you can apply for support for the course.
